Spiders use silk to trap their prey. Some keep it simple and make trip wires but most build elaborate webs that catch flying insects with their sticky, almost invisible threads.
Spider silk looks flimsy, but it's actually very strong. Spiders make silk from silk glands in their abdomen. When the silk first comes out, it's liquid. When it gets into the air, it hardens into a gluey thread. The silk is made of protein, and when the web is damaged, the spider eats to silk before it makes a new one. Spiders also use their silk as packaging to wrap up prey to eat later and to make egg-sacs to keep their young safe until they hatch.
The orb spider makes a wheel web. This type of web has spokes like a wheel and a sticky thread that spirals around. Making such a complicated and delicate web is hard work for the spider. It uses a lot of silk and it takes a lot of energy.
Spider silk looks flimsy, but it's actually very strong. Spiders make silk from silk glands in their abdomen. When the silk first comes out, it's liquid. When it gets into the air, it hardens into a gluey thread. The silk is made of protein, and when the web is damaged, the spider eats to silk before it makes a new one. Spiders also use their silk as packaging to wrap up prey to eat later and to make egg-sacs to keep their young safe until they hatch.
The orb spider makes a wheel web. This type of web has spokes like a wheel and a sticky thread that spirals around. Making such a complicated and delicate web is hard work for the spider. It uses a lot of silk and it takes a lot of energy.
